Improvement in rotary printing-presses for dating letters and canceling stamps



v 2Sh e-ets--Sheet1. .v T. G.PALMER & H. F. CLRK. Rntar'y-Printin-g-Press fur Hating Letters 'and Canceling Stamps.

Patented March16,l875.,

TH E GRAPHIC CLPHOTO -LITH.39 5.4-1 PARK PLACE MY.

2Sheets--Sheet2f B. PALMER & H. 'F. CLARK.

S r 9 t t. B .L g n -Is 0. a m 3 08 f g Si B P0 6 n a o .m n P y r a t 0 R Patented March 16, 8 75 TIMOTHY G. PALMER, OF SOHULTZVILLE, AND HENRY F. CLARK, OF POUGH- KEEPSIE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT -|N ROTARY PRINTING-PRESSES FOR DATING LETTERS AND CANCELING STAMPS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 160,947, dated March 16, 1875; application filed March 10, 1875.

, purposes; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description of the construction and operation of the same,

reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, making part of the same, in which- Figure 1 is a front view, being an elevation of the same. Fig. 2 is an end view; and Figs. 3, 4:, and 5 are sectional views.

Like letters in the several like parts.

The nature of our invention relates to a machine by which the name of a post-office, with the date of mailing letters or other packages, together with marks, stars, or dashes for canceling the postage-stamps affixed to said letters or packages, are, by a continuous and successive motion, printed and impressed upon the face of such letters or packages, with any suitable ink or canceling material, the name of the post'office, date of mailing, and

views refer to canceling-marks, said letters or other paper so impressed being, by an automatic movement of said machine, thrown therefrom the instant such printing and canceling act is completed, so as not to interfere with the next succeeding letter or package introduced into said machine. I

In the accompanying drawings, A represeuts the frame of said machine. This is preferably made of cast-iron, and is designed to be secured to any suitable or convenient table, for convenience of operating the same, by hav- 7 ing the package of letters to be operated upon convenient at hand. B is the crank-shaft, which carries the driving gear B, which is secured to the end of the shaft opposite to the turning-crank B. 0 represents a shaft lying parallel to the shaft B, in proper bearings in the frame A, and upon which is secured the printing and canceling roller 0. It will be observed that the frame A is recessed at A, to allow the passage of the letters while in the act of passing through the machine. 1) represents a bed-roller, the journals of which have their bearings in the frame A, the axis of rotation being parallel with the shaft B, and the journal-boxes thereof resting upon coiled springs or other elastic substance, so as to insure an equal and uniform pressure to letters or packages of varyingthicknesses that are passed between the canceling and printing roller 0 and the pressure-roller D. Directly above the printing and canceling roller 0 is mounted, in suitable bearings, the inking-roller E. This is preferably made of iron, and covered with an elastic surface of vulcanized rubber. The journals of this roller rest in a vertical slot in the frame, so that in its rotation its weight will rest upon the face of the type and canceling characters upon the roller 0. An ink-reservoir is placed above the ink-roller, by which 'a constant and uniform supply of ink is distributed. Upon the outer end of the ink-roller is secured a toothed wheel, F, and upon the roller 0 is affixed, to the outerend of the shaft, a segmental wheel, F. The roller 0 is also segmental, one side being removed or depressed to allow the free exit of the letters at the proper time. B y the operation of the Wheels F and F the inkroller is, at every revolution of the wheel 0, brought into a new position in regard to the face of the type and canceling characters upon the face of the roller 0.

The name of the post-office for which any particular machine is intended is engraved in raised type, electrotyped, or otherwise produced in raised letters, together with the canceling characters, upon the surface of the roller 0, and provision made for setting in movable type for the day, month, and year of mailing, which movable type can be secured by a set-screw, key, or wedge, or in any convenient manner.

The machine is intended to print the name .of the post-office, the date of mailing, and

cancel the stamp at every revolution of the crank-shaft B, and the letters are to be fed into the machine at the moment the canceling characters are coming into proper relations with the pressure-roller D, for the gear-Wheel B upon the shaft B, and the gear-wheel 0 upon the shaft 0, have the same number of teeth, and agree in their periods of rotation.

Upon the shaft 0 is placed a cam, G, and this cam operates a compound lever, H I, by which means a quick and sudden motion is communicated to the finger K, which slides upon the rod L. The cam G is so adjusted in relation to the printing-roller 0, being upon the same shaft, that the movement of the finger K is at the instant the letter or package is released from the pressure of the type upon the canceling roller, thus throwing the letter from the machine the moment the printing is completed.

Ordinarily it isintended to work this machine by turning the crank by hand, but it is obvious that it may be worked by foot-power or otherwise, as may be desired; and to this end we briefly describe devices by which footpower may be applied.

M represents a ratchet-wheel upon the end of the shaft 0. This is acted upon by a serrated pawl, N, which is worked by a treadle,

guiding the pin P into its proper path.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The cam Gr upon the shaft G, in combination with the compound levers H I, rod L, and

discharging-finger K, as described.

2. In combination with the shaft 0 and ratchet-Wheel M, the toothed pawl N and guide 0 O, as and for the purpose specified.

TIMOTHY G. PALMER. HENRY F. CLARK. Witnesses:

ORIN 0. Fox, J. BRAINERD. 

